Hi everyone.

Due to SARS-CoV-2, I rarely drive my 2001 Honda Accord EX 2.3L Vtech 4 door. I put about 20-25 miles a month on it now. (My son and I are at high risk for severe complications. We have been isolating at home since March.) I put gas in the car back in June - a full tank but not overfilled. I had to drive 100 miles to a doctor's appointment. The car was fine on that trip.

I got a CEL p1457 in August and then another in October.

It got down to 1/4 tank so I put in about 7 gallons a few weeks ago. I got a p1457 and smelled gas on the way home. Reset it with my code reader, checked out all of the lines around the EVAP. Everything was fine, no gas leaks under the car, the gas smell dissipated over a few days. Took it out for a drive, about 4 miles. No light. Took it again a few days later, CEL p1457 and the return of the gas smell. I have been driving it every few days between 2 and 10 miles. Sometimes I get the p1457, sometimes I don't. After the fifth drive, there was gas on the ground overnight right under the EVAP. Still could not find a leak. It throws the p1457 about every 2-4 times I take it out. After that one leak incident, there was nothing so I moved it back into the garage.

It spent a week in the garage, then I took it out for my monthly groceries on Tuesday (18 miles round trip.) It threw the p1457. Brought it home, no gas smell,. put it in the garage. No problems, no gas smell, no leaks. Realized just an hour ago (three days after I drove it) there was a heavy gas smell coming from the garage. There was gas under the EVAP canister on the floor. I moved the car back outside.

What is going on? I researched out the p1457 and I am planning on getting the canister and valve replaced when I can afford it in about a month. I cannot find anything about gas leaking out due to a bad canister or valve.

I can't afford to get this fixed right away. Any ideas why I am getting an intermittent gas leak? (It is a large volume, not just a few drops. The area was 13 inches by 8 inches under the canister. There wasn't any gas under the car two days ago when I last checked it.) Is it safe to drive? Why is it leaking and where can it be leaking from. There are no other codes, just the p1457. What should i be looking for when inspecting this area?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

This must be very frustrating. I didn't know that code readers would work on the older Accords. I have a 94 and was told otherwise. Do you use one of ?

 

My 1999 Accord's situation was definitely bad fuel lines - it also had the P1457 code. I think the most significant leak, or hole was in the return line which is why I didn't consistently see gas on the ground, but the odor was usually there. I didn't even know the fuel lines were bad - it was when I had the brake lines replaced that the shop noticed it and showed me. Where I live very corrosive chemicals are used to melt snow and ice on the roads. After the fuel lines were replaced they reset the CEL - but about a week later it returned. Then - a few weeks after that it turned off and hasn't returned since. It passed emissions last September.

I believe the code activates after 2 cycles of the EVAP system failing. To deactivate the code, the EVAP system must pass 2 successful cycles. At least that's the way I understand it, those that are more knowledgeable can verify if that's correct. The fact that you are seeing gas on the ground intermittently makes it difficult to determine the cause. Do your fuel lines look OK?

 

I use an older version of the $35 Autel OBD scanner. My car is a 2001 .... so younger than yours.

 

I checked the fuel lines last week before I took Susie B (the car's name) out for groceries. No detectable leaks. I did not check last night as it was 100AM when I pushed her outside and threw some cat litter on the gasoline on the garage floor. It is raining today, so it will be less than pleasant to roll around under her but I am going to do a quick check. I am guessing a fuel line as well, but I am also concerned about the overfill valve in the tank. I did NOT fill the tank and I never fill it beyond the cutoff click (my ex used to do that all of the time, drove me crazy). I will end up taking it into a shop for the repairs, as I often do not have the tools I need to do all of the repairs. I have a shop that encourages me to get all of the parts and they put them on. So I need to track down the potentials. They will be able and willing to get some fuel hoses, but they prefer not to have to find parts for my older car.

 

You don't need any special tools to replace the cannister and valve. I replaced mine with not much more than pliers, a screwdriver, and socket wrench. 1999, same errors as above. I was cheap and went to the junkyard and took the whole section off for $20, been fine for a year now.

As for why you don't alway see it is because the vent valve (or whatever it is) probably sorta works and so somtimes will activate and function and sometimes not. Mine worked if you whacked it (like going over a big bump) but then would fail again after awhile.

Good luck.

 

Hopefully it is just the canister and valve. I do wish I worked on cars more over the years to have the confidence to remove components from a junkyard car and install it on mine. That's the ideal situation - being cheap is good, especially in these times. But sometimes you need the talent to do so.

The place I brought it to - a well known chain didn't install OEM fuel or brake lines - they made them there. Maybe not a work or art - there's a couple bends here and there that don't look as good as the OEM lines, but that's not a concern. Supposedly they're of better material - don't recall what (nickel something?) but shouldn't rust. I think it's worth it to invest money into Susie B. Sure these cars need repairs due to age, but they don't typically have major engine situations like head gaskets or thrown rods.

 

Understandable. I was lucky to start working on cars when I was around 10, and too stupid to know I could blow myself up

This is a bit of an odd thing to work on and annoying until fixed.

 

But smart enough to take precautions so you didn't! My tinkering at that age over 50 years ago was restricted to bicycles, I wish my parents let me work on cars but I don't blame them for not allowing it.

Yes, when I researched that code a while back is when I learned it takes time to know if the situation has been resolved due to the cycles involved. For the average commuter, the EVAP cycle could be typically a few days. But for someone who drives the cars seldomly like the OP and I (have a company vehicle) that cycle could be weeks.

 

Thank you for the replies. Does anyone know how the liquid gas is getting under the car? I cannot find an obvious leak in the lines. I read it could be coming from the canister itself, which is possible. I never see the gas coming out, I just find it on the ground. It has not leaked at all today - no gas on the ground. How did the liquid gas get into the canister or this part of the system? This part of the system should not have liquid fuel in it ....

 

I have a similar problem with my 99 ex as well solenoid appears original and is rusted onto my canister RIP thinking my code was for the solenoid but going under to it I also noticed damp gas coming from what looked like the top side of the fuel tank but I have no idea where the leak would be looked inside my inspection port for the fuel pump and the assembly bolts look pretty rusted may be the seal with the pump as well as the pump itself im at a loss as to my next steps

 

I'm not 100% sure I can visualize where you say the damp gas is, but if it is from the top side you should take a look at the fuel pump and work back from there to see where the leak might be. If it is wet it should be easy to trace to the fuel line that is damaged. What's nice on our cars is that it is easy to get to the fuel punmp, it's in the trunk.

 

Yeah it looks like the original pump assembly bolts are rusted onto the tank lines appeared to be dry around what I could see the whole top was covered in small gravel and salt or whatever from years id imagine

 

 

Gonna try to hit up a junk yard to gwt new bolts hopefully can find some around here and then im sure ill need some sort of extractor set as well and some pb blaster or something to help loosen those bolts